There are definite benefits to starting your journey toward college well before your senior year begins. For one thing, it’s not uncommon for teens to come down with a case of “senioritis” during their last year of high school. Why not do some leg work a bit early so you can go into your final year with a little less on your mind? These are the things you can tackle your junior year:

1. Spend time with the guidance counselor at your school. At this point, you might not have had an occasion to introduce yourself to her yet, but there’s no time like the present. Tell her that you’re ready to start the process of college prep and she’ll guide you. The first thing you’ll check is that you are taking the right high school courses. She’ll listen as you talk about various programs that might interest you in college and then likely make some suggests of colleges within your state. Your guidance counselor is also a wealth of information about the standardized tests (the ACT and SAT) that you will be taking before too long.

2. Set your strategy for testing. Once you have a general understanding of the two college-entry tests, you’ll need to decide when you are going to take them. There’s not one way to go about it, but allow yourself enough time between now and graduation to re-test if you aren’t happy with your scores. You’ll want to become very familiar with the format of both the SAT and the ACT well before test day. The best way to do that is to get your hands on exam prep books. Check your local book store, online or ask your counselor if the school has some to share.

3. Get in as many campus visits as possible. It’s never too early to visit colleges in your area to get a feel for what life is like on different campuses. Some are very laid-back and rural, while schools within big cities have a very different vibe. Check out where freshman live and get an idea what types of majors are offered. If you want to check out colleges that aren’t within driving distance, start by familiarizing yourself with their web sites.

4. Get an idea of your financial strategy. Even if you know that your parents have been contributing to your college fund all along, there are loans, grants and scholarships for you to consider as well. Some are local, while others come directly from the college that you are accepted to. Start researching during your junior year and make sure that you are on the right track to meet all requirements.

Before you know it, you’ll be in your cap and gown and ready to move on to the next phase of your young adult life. Make this time count and do as much prep work as you possibly can.

Russell Black is a counselor who advises working adults on choosing online colleges and online degree programs.